Infantry Weapons

RPG-18

The RPG-18 Mukha is a Soviet disposable, shoulder-fired anti-tank rocket launcher built around a telescoping launch tube and a 64 mm PG-18 HEAT rocket. It gives small infantry teams a lightweight short-range anti-armor weapon, and in Ukraine it appears both as a carried legacy launcher and as an improvised payload on FPV drones.

Russia-Ukraine WarUkraine

Conflict side: Ukraine
Built by: State Research and Production Enterprise Bazalt
Built in: Soviet Union

RPG-18, Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons

Profile

Type: Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher
Conflict side: Ukraine
Origin: Soviet Union
Service note: Introduced in the mid-1970s; still encountered in legacy stocks during the Russia-Ukraine War

portable anti-tank rocket launcherdisposableheat

Service History

In service: Mid-1970s to present in legacy stocks
Used by: Ukrainian Armed Forces
Wars: Russia-Ukraine War

Production History

Designed: Early 1970s
Built by: State Research and Production Enterprise Bazalt
Built in: Soviet Union
Produced: 1970s-1990s
Variants: RPG-18 Mukha with PG-18 HEAT rocket

Specifications

Crew: 1 operator
Caliber: 64 mm PG-18 rocket
Warhead: High-explosive anti-tank shaped charge
Effective range: Up to 200 m
Armor penetration: Up to 300-375 mm of rolled homogeneous armor, depending on source and test basis
Weight: About 2.6 kg loaded
Length: 705 mm collapsed; 1,050 mm extended

Conflict Usage

Russia-Ukraine War: Side: Ukraine
Ukrainian forces have fielded RPG-18 launchers during the full-scale war, including improvised mounting of the disposable launcher on FPV drones; defense reporting also lists 815 RPG-18 anti-tank launchers among early 2022 aid from Greece.

RPG-18 Images

RPG-18, Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 1

RPG-18, Disposable anti-tank rocket launcher, Infantry Weapons - view 2

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Sources

RPG-18 Mukha Russian Anti-Tank Rocket LauncherPublisher: U.S. Army ODIN | Note: Supports system identification, role, and general reference background for the RPG-18. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Current Opposing Forces Antiarmor WeaponsPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Reproduces U.S. Army training material describing the RPG-18 as a disposable short-range infantry anti-tank rocket launcher with range, warhead, sight, and employment details. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Anti-tank rocket launcher - RPG-18 (Mukha) - dated 1981Publisher: Royal Armouries | Note: Supports museum-provenance background and maker attribution to State Research and Production Enterprise Bazalt. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 RPG-18 light anti-armour weaponPublisher: GunRF | Note: Supports dimensional, weight, range, and penetration specifications for the launcher and PG-18 rocket. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Ukraine Adapts RPG-18 Rocket Launchers to FPV Drones in Ongoing Conflict with RussiaPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War use context for Ukrainian RPG-18 launchers, including FPV-drone adaptation. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Full list of US & European weapons and military equipment delivered to UkrainePublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports Russia-Ukraine War military aid context listing 815 RPG-18 anti-tank rocket launchers delivered to Ukraine in early 2022. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 File:RPG-18 weapon.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Primary image provenance; the Commons file identifies the RPG-18 photo as public domain U.S. government material. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 File:Tula State Museum of Weapons (cropped) RPG-18.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Gallery image provenance; the Commons file is marked CC BY-SA 4.0 with VRT-confirmed permission. | Accessed: 2026-06-20